Presently, however, it appeared that there were other peculiarities in the Brownsville game, or at least in the game Stumpy played. He refused to come in, hand after hand, with no apparent impatience at the chipping out process, even when he was forced to buy his second five. Then, suddenly, he came in without looking at his hand, and when he was raised, pushed his whole pile into the pot. Winterbottom had three sevens, and he saw the bet unhesitatingly. Pearsall had nothing, but he put in his money on the theory that his chance was as good as any man’s who had not looked at his hand. The sheriff, with one pair, considered it a fair gamble, and Plunkitt came in to be sociable. On the draw Stumpy stood pat, still without looking at his cards, which lay face down in front of him. Winterbottom drew two without bettering, and neither of the others improved his hand. As Winterbottom had opened, he bet a blue chip on the side, which the sheriff called, having kings, and the other two laid down. Stumpy, being all in, was not affected by the side betting, and let his cards remain on the table. Winterbottom, being called, showed his three sevens. “That’s good,” said the sheriff, showing his kings, and they all looked at Stumpy. “Sure, Oi don’t know,” he said, drolly, “but Oi do be thinkin’ maybe Oi’ll bate thim others,” and he turned his cards over one at a time. The first four were diamonds, and he looked at Winterbottom. “Have yez anny propositions?” he asked, with a grin. “I reckon not,” said Winterbottom. “Oi thought maybe ye’d be afther wantin’ to shplit th’ pot. Sure, thim diamonds is mighty pretty.” “Go on,” said Jake, impatiently. “Oh! Very well,” said Stumpy, and he turned another diamond. It gave him nearly sixteen dollars as against the ten he had put in, and after counting it carefully he said he guessed he’d quit. At this there was a chorus of protest. “Do you mean to say you’ve got four North American citizens to waste half an hour for you to win six dollars?” demanded Pearsall. “It’s what I call a dirty trick,” said Plunkitt. “Aisy, now, aisy,” said Stumpy. “Oi told yez Oi play this game fer spoort, an’ Oi’ve had all the spoort Oi’m loikely to have. Thim things don’t happen twice. Yez needn’t look dangerous. Oi’ll not foight yez, on’y wan at a toime. Oi’m Oirish, but Oi’m not Oirish enough for that. Yez’ll all have another dhrink with me.” And that was all the Arkansas City players accomplished with Stumpy. After he had gone on his hilarious way, old man Greenhut looked after him indignantly, and said: “I reckon them ravens that fed Joseph must ha’ been some other breed. They sure wa’n’t red-headed blackbirds.” XIII ON HAND JUST ONCE